GGCA Gender and Climate Change Training Manual - Women's ...

Case studies
Case study 1
The Mama Watoto Group
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The Mama Watoto Group has been running
an afforestation project since 1994, which
has benefited the conservation of biodiversity
in the region, prevented soil erosion and
improved soil fertility. The main goals of
the project were to provide a solution to the
scarcity of firewood and to create sustainable
livelihoods for the community. However, as the
project has evolved, empowering women with
education about the environment, and giving
them the skills to diversify their livelihoods in
an environmentally conscious way have led
to significant success in effecting change.
Diversifying women’s sources of income, and
afforestation of the region, will help mitigate the
future threat of climate change with its weatherrelated
hazards such as flooding, landslides
and drought. The initiative also contributes to
climate change mitigation through reforestation
efforts.
The Mama Watoto Women’s group in Kenya
was formed in 1990 to address the scarcity
of fuelwood and the poverty of rural women.
It comprises 28 women and their families (a
total of 150 people) in the Kakamega Region
in western Kenya. Kakamega is about 30 km
north of the Equator, with very high annual
precipitation.
Firewood was the communities’ main energy
source. As it grew scarce, women were forced
to collect wood illegally from the reserve that
borders the community, the Kakamega National
Forest Reserve, exposing themselves to legal
action, fines and imprisonment. Since the
establishment of the group, the women grow
fast-maturing trees for firewood and timber in
“women-made forests” in sections within their
families’ or their own farms. The afforestation
programme has improved soil fertility, reduced
illegal harvesting, and increased the vegetation
cover in the Kambiri region, thereby increasing
carbon sequestration (FAO, 1994).
The group has ensured that families
who were previously being prosecuted for
destroying the forest, are now sustainably
using available resources. The group has
expanded the harvesting, processing and
packaging of honey which has improved
household incomes. Cultivation of soya beans
is also raising household incomes, facilitated
by a collective storage unit built by the group.
Additionally, the group has introduced fish
farming, and sustainable harvesting of herbs
and medicinal plants. Overexploitation of forest
resources has significantly reduced since
community members have diversified their
farmed products.
The group works to counteract threats to
existing biodiversity through education. The
group also cares for orphans and runs a home
based for people living with HIV/AIDS.
All group activities are driven by community
needs and the structure of the organization
encourages inter-generational participation,
which helps maintain the sustainability of the
project. Also, the group works very closely with
research and government institutions. Partners
in this initiative include: the Shanderema Self-
Help Group (orphans); Ivakale Focal Area Group
and Musembeli Women’s Group (orphans);
Lugusi Post Test Group (home-based HIV/AIDS
care); Kenya Wildlife Service-Buyangu Camp
(protection of forest resources); GROOTS
Kenya (peer learning and exchange); Jamii
Network Group, Ivakale Bidii Self-Help Group,
Ileho Youth Association, I.I.R.R. (soya bean
seeds); and Vihiga District Rotarians (water
pump).
Sources:
FAO. (1994). Afforestation initiative Kakamega, Kenya.
Retrieved from the World Wide Web: www.fao.org/SARD
Equator Prize. (2006). Nomination: Mama Watoto Women
Group. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.
equatorinitiative.net/content.lasso?cid=111